Improvement in nail-plate feeders



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W. KOPLIN.

NAIL-PLATE FEEDER. v Patented April 3, 1877.

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NAIL-PLATE FEEDER. No 189,236 Patented April 3, 1877.

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JW v 2 ag WW II. HERS. PNOTO-LITHDGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. DC

UNITED STATES PATENT omen.

WILLIAM KOPLIN, OF NEWCASTLE, PA., ASSIGNOR TO HARRY B. KOPLIN, OF SAME PLAGE, AND ANTHONY WELSH, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT m NAIL-PLATE FEEDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,236, dated April 3, 1877; application filed December 9, 1876.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KOPLIN, of Newcastle, in. the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Nail-Plate Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a nail-plate feeder embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line :20 m, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the nail-machine. Fig. 4 is .a similar section, lookingin the opposite direction. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 6 is a detached front view of the fingers holding a blank; and Fig. 7 is a rear end view of the machine, showing the gearing of the barrel.

Like letters refer to like parts Wherever they occur.

My invention relates to machinery for the automatic feeding of nail-plates to nail machinery, and especially to improvements on Letters Patent No. 178,646, granted to me June 13, 1876. It consists, first, in so forming the feed-fingers of the sliding frame that they sh all feed forward the nail-plate, and at the same timeact as a guard to prevent. the plate from rising when a nail-blank is severed from the plate; second, in operating the fingers ,from the driving-shaft through cam-and-lever mechanism, whereby a positive griping action for the feed is obtained; third, in combining with the feed-fingers, and the mechanism for operating the same, set-screws or equivalent devices, for varying the gripe to suit the width of the blank; fourth, in combining with the spring-nippers of the feeding-barrel a supplemental spring-nipper, whereby the scrap is held independent of the main nippers; fifth,

.in looking the rear or oscillating bearing of the barrel during the cutting of the blank by means of a set-screwor equivalent device;

and, finally, in details of construction hereinafter setforth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings referred to, A is the feeding-barrel, through the slot or of which the nail-plate is fed to the nail-machine. This cylinder or barrel works in the bearings B G, and

is revolved by the cog-wheel D working into the cog-Wheel F on the driving or cam shaft E. One-half of the cog-wheel F is mutilated,

as at f, and the cog-wheel D is provided with' the blind teeth (1, by means of which the barrel A is locked during the cutting of the blank. The shaft E, by which power isapplicd to the machine, is journaled in the bearings c e e, and carries the cams which operate the different parts of the machine. In the bearings i t I arrange the slidingv frame H, having the longitudinal arms h it connected by the crossbraces k k. From the cross-brace k the campin is (which may be provided with an antifriction roll) extends down so as to be operated upon by the cam L, which is rigidly attached to the cam-shaft E. and operated thereby. The form of the cam L is such that it will advance the frame H once during each revolution of the cam-shaft. Working against the bearing t" I place one or more springs, s, which press against lugs on the frame H, keep the cam-pin k in contact with the cam L, and retract the frame upon the recession of the projection of the said cam.

Pivot'ed in the frame H are the feeding-1cvers M, provided with the feeding fingers or clutches m, which bite upon the nail-plate p at the mouth of the barrel A. Rigidly attached to the shaft E is the cam N, operating the cam-levers n n, which press upon the pivoted levers M, and cause the'fingers m to close over the nail-plate, support it during the cutting, and prevent the flying of scrap when the last out is made from a plate.

The forward bearing 0 of the barrel A is formed upon a verticallysliding yoke, It, which is held up by a spring or equivalent device, and retracted by a cam, T, on the powershaft E, (as is described in my former patent the barrel A, so that w hen the forward hearing 0 is raised by the spring, the rear bearing B, being pivoted, as specified, allows the barrel to be retracted. As it is desirable that the barrel A shall remain stationary during the cutting of the blank, and that the bearing B shall not vibrate at' that time, I place the set-screw u in the wheel F in such position that during the time the part 01 of the wheel D is resting on the mutilated portionf of the wheel F, the screw u, or equivalent projection,

shall press against the hearing B and prevent its movement. The equivalent of this setscrew, as far as locking the oscillating hearing is concerned, would be a cam projection on the wheel F; but it will be observed that the set-screw is preferable, as it can also be used to take up any lost motion by the wearing of the parts. 7

Passing through the rear bearing't'is the set-screw t, which works against a lug, t, on the slidingframe H, andregulates its throw or travel. Passing through each of the pivoted finger-levers M, at the points where the camlevers come in contact therewith, are set screws 12 v, by means of which the gripe of the feeding-fingers upon the nail-plate may be varied to suit different widths of plate.

The cylinder or barrel A is provided with spring-uippers a a, of steel or any suitable material, which hold the nail-plate and present it to the machine in the required position for cutting. As the nail-plates are not all of the same thickness, it is evident that ifa thick plate is fed after a thin one, the nippers would be so distended that they would not hold the thin one. To overcome this difliculty I have combined with the regular nippers a supplemental nipper, a which passes over the nipper a and bites upon the plate at the mouth raising the cam-levers n n, by pressure upon the pivoted levers M, causes the feeding-fingers m to gripe the nail-plate p, and, by the advance of the sliding frame H, feed it forward suificiently for the cutting of a nailblank. The eccentricity of the cam L, having now passed the cam-pin k permits the springs s to retract the frame H until the lug t comes in contact with the set-screw t. After the feed has been made, the cam N passes the levers n n, and permits the springs h to free the fingers m from the plate, when they are carried back by the frame H, in the manner above described.

Upon the further revolution of the shaft E, mthe gear-wheels D and F mesh into each other, and the barrel A is revolved in the bearings B and 0. At the same time the cam F allows the springs to raise the forward hearing 0, and with it the barrel A, and the rear bearing B, bein g pivoted, as above described, allows the raising of the bearin g G, to retract or rock back the barrel A, and'thus impart to the forward end of the barrela backward and rising motion,

makea half-turn before another nail is cut from the plate. The barrel is then drawn down by the cam T, and, by the lowering of the bearing-O, the bearing B is advanced to the position before occupied, and. the operation is continued, as before described. In order that the bearing B shall not be retracted or vibrate during the time the feeding-barrel is stationary, I place the set-screw u, or equiving the cutting of the blank.

chine, so as to feed a plate for making difl'ercut-sized nails. To accomplish this I-place the set-screws 'v 'v, or equivalent devices, upon the pivoted arms M, by means of which the fingers m are caused to approach nearer each other, to suit the width of plate to be fed; and I regulate the feed or travel of the frame H by means of the set-screw t, working against the lug t so as to suit the width of the cutto the size of nail desired. By means of this set-screw t, any lost motion caused by the wear of the cam L or cam-pin k may be taken up.

The feeding-fingers m. bite upon the nailplate during the cuttingbf the nail-blank, the guard-flanges o supporting the plate and preof the nipper, and holds it against the other nipper, a, until the last out is made.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The nail-plate is fed through the slot a until it is caught by the nippers a a and feedingfingers m at the mouth ofthe barrel, one of the blind teeth d of the cogwheel D resting upon the mutilated portion f of the wheel F, and holding the barrel in position for cutting. Upon the revolution of the power-shaft, the cam L advances the sliding venting it from rising. When the last cuts are made from the plate, the supplemental nipper a holds the plate steady, and, in connection with the fingers m and flanges 0, presents it in the proper position to the nail ma chine.

The machine is provided with the scrapclearer y, described and claimed in my former patent, above referred to.

Some of the advantages of my improved nail-plate feeder are:

frame H, and, at the same time, the cam N,

First, by means of the guard -flanges and allowing it to free itself from the cutter and alent device, on the wheel F, in such position as to lock or hold the bearing stationary dur It is sometimes desired to change the masupplemental nipper, I obtain a simple and surer method of holding the blank.

Second, by means of the cam and lever mechanism, I secure a positive action for the feed.

Third, by means of the set screws for changing the bite of the fingers. and throw of the sliding frame, thelfeeder may be regulated to suit different-sized nails, which has not been accomplished before.

Fourth, by pivoting one of the bearings of the barrel, the operation of the feed is simplified, and consequently the wearing of the different parts is obviated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of the feeding-barrel, the sliding frame, and the feed-fingers, provided with the guard-flanges, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of the feed-fingers, pivoted in the sliding frame, and thelever-and-cam mechanism for operating the fingers, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of the feed-fingers with mechanism for operating through a slot in one of said nippers for .controlling the scrap, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In combination with the feed-barrel, the vertical rising and falling bearing G, yoke R, and the oscillating or rocking bearing B B, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In combination with the rocking bearing, the projection for locking the bearing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I, the said WILLIAM KoPLIN, have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM KOPLIN.

Witnesses:

F. W. BITTER, J r., JAMES L KAY. 

